Improvement in harvester-rakes



UNTTED STATES PATENT @Enron JOHN R. BUCKWALTER, OF NEAR BUYERSTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA.

4 IMPROVEMENT IN HARVESTER-RAKES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 159,387, dated February 2, 1875; application tiled I July 3, 1874.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN R. BUGKWALTER, residing near Buyerstown, in the county of Lancaster and State of Pennsylvania, farmer, have invented certain Improvements in Operating the Baking Attachments on Harvesters, of which the following is a specilication:l

This invention relates to a class of revolving rakes in sockets or holders, so as to rise and fall by means of gearing and camways variously constructed.

The novelty consists in the arrangement of the camways and heels of the holders, and Inode of operating the rake and liexible or spring camway by means of a star or cogged wheel, and also of shifting by a lever attachment.

The accompanying drawings, with the letters of reference and brief description, will enable others skilled in the art to make and use the same, in which- Figure lis a top view, seen vertically, showing the conic hub and four open spaces for the holders, and the intermediate open spaces, forming the chain-wheel. Fig. 2 is a front elevation 5 Fig. 3, part of the same in perspective; Fig. 4, showing the angle of the flanged standard and its relation to the cutter-bar and platform. Figs. 5 and 6 illustrate the open sockets for the shaft of the rake to be bolted in, (rake not shown,) as such are common, and bent or adapted to the height of the standard and `platform On'an ordinary platform, A, with its cutterbar C, there is a standard having a projecting ange at right angles, Widening upward, marked D D' D, forming an open angle, crossed by a circular camway, P, With inclined planes on the sides of connection with a semicircular horizontal disk embracing, say, onehalf of a central axis or shaft, W, which latter has a collar at its base, and supports the conical hub of the combined chain-wheel, together with the rake-holders. There is also attached to the upper portion of the standard, opposite the angle, a projecting curved cam or deector, H; also, a combined vibrating cam, K lc o, attached by a pivot, and acted upon by a spring, L. Intermediate between H and K there is a four-oogged wheel, I, (star-shaped,) on a shaft provided with a head, J, and coiled springt' and lever M on its fulcrum m, by which said star-wheel I can be pressed outward against the spring, so as to cause the wider cog or cogs Il to pass without depressing the vibrating cam 7c, operated at'pleasure by the driver by means of a cord, n, or otherwise, extending from the end of said lever M to a convenient foot or hand lever. The rake-holders It, Fig. 5, Vfour in number', are at right angles to each other, and have pivots T near the corner of the proj ecting heel N, which is duly tapered or rounded out, and provided with a projection, o, on the outer face for operating the starwheel I. These holders are secured in the sides of the open slots, made at right angles in the conic hub and flange E, so as to rise or fall in succession as the heels N are brought in contact with the camways on the headof the standard as the supporting-wheel is revolved. This wheel is shown in two parts, E F, with cogs G inserted in the periphery for chain-gear, as in ordinary use. One revolution is deemed sufficient to gather a vsheaf on the platform. Hence I show one cog only, made, say, double the width of the other three on the star-wheel I, which receives motion from the projection o on the heel N of the rake-holders R. The narrower cogs do not depress or come in contact with-the vibrating cam K, so that three of the number in .this case simply perform the functions of a reel, by dropping into a horizontal position to gather the standing grain toward the cutterbar, and then, by the action of the heel and cams, again assume a vertical position. The wider cog I', however, after the rake has performed its function like the rest, is brought to bear on the vibrating cam, which, being tilted so as to prevent the heel N from causing the holder to rise, is now carried in this horizontal position over the platform, and performs the function of a rake to sweep the platform from end to end, when it passes over the terminus U, and the spring L restores the cam,

causing the holder to assume a vertical position, to be out of the way of the driver.

The object of the lever M and sliding motion of the star-wheel I is to prevent the wide cog I also from coming in contact with the vibrating cam K when the grain is thin, so as to require two or more revolutions of the chain wheel for collecting a full sheaf on the plat- 2 leem-:sr

form. The ooiledspringi restores the starwheel to its proper place the moment the action of the lever is released.

It will be understood that when the star` wheel I is pushed out by the lever M the cogs on the same do not come in Contact with the projections o on the heels N of the rake-hold ers R, and consequently the star-Wheel remains stationary at the option of the driver, thereby enabling him to have full control of the rake over the platform at one, one and a fourth, one and a half, one and three-fourths, two, or any number of revolutions of the chain-Whee1,with perfect ease and certainty.

I am aware that holders, cams, sprlngs, gates, and trippers are used in numerous combinations and arrangements, variously made,- with a similar object in View; but I am not aware that a star-wheel, lever, and 0am arrangement, as herein shown and described, were ever known or used before. Therefore,

What I claim as my invention is* 1. The combined conic-hubbed chain-wheel E F G, provided at four points with open slots, the rake-holders R, having elbowed heels N, with a projection, o, mounted on a standard, D D' D", with its cams I H K, all arranged and operated substantially in the manner and for the purpose specied.

2. In combination with the vibrating cam K and projection o on the heels N the star-wheel I, lever M, and spring t', all arranged substantially, and operated in the manner and for the purpose set forth.

JOHN R. BUGKWALTER.

Witnesses:

W. B. WILEY, JACOB STAUFFER. 

